Electric connector.



c. H. FESCHER- ELECTRIC CONNECTOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 39M- Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

, To all'wiwmit may concern. l I

Be it known that L Cirnnncs. H. Erso'nsn, a citizen of the Ulnted States," res1d1ng Farrah Parana carton.

CHABIIES H. FISGHER, CINCINNATI, 01-110, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

THE CUECORAJQ-VICTUB COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ELECTRIC CONNECTOR.

specification of Letters Patent. Pat gntgfl Felt, jig, jltQbjlQ,

Application filed my 17, Serial No. 851,581.

Cincimuzti in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Connectors, oi which the following a, specification. i

It is the object of my invention to provide an electric connector of: novel construction especially adapted for vehicle electric lamps. constructed comprise an outer casing and a reflector received within the outer casing, there being a space between the reflector and casing. The casing is usually provided with a connector with which an electric conductor "from the source of power is relcasably con vnected and the reflector is usually provided with a connector forrcceiving the light-builb,

the clectrlc connection between said connectors being located in the space between the casing and reflector.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide eleotric'connectors which are compact in length, so as to occupy little lengthwise space, in order that the rear ends oi the reflector and easing may have little space. between them. lit is the object of my invention, further. to provide insulating means in an electric connector of the charactor mentioned which occupies little lengthwise space; further, to provide novel means for insulating the terminal post of the electric connector from the supporting tube thereof; further, to provide novel means for resiliently holding the plug in the connector and forming electric contact with the pe-, riphery of the plug over a wide area; and,

further, to provide novel means-for securing the flexible electric conductor to the longitudinallymovable post of the electric connector, and the invention will be further readily understood from the following de? scription and claims and from the'drawings, in which latter:

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal axial section ol :1 vehicle electric lamp. in which my improved electric connectors are exemphfied.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the parts of my improved device in separated relation.

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of my improved device.

Fig. a is a rear end elevation of the same.

Vehicle electric lamps as usually Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on longitudinal a line corresponding to the line 66 of Fig. 5.

, The casing of the lamp is indicated at 11-, the reflector at 12, and the door at 13. The door is provided with a glass 14:, or other suitable device through which the rays of light from the reflector are projected. The reflector is arranged to be suitably secured in place, as to the casing, by means of screws 15, the door being shown hinged to the body by means of hinges 16. Other usual or suit; able means may be employed for securing the reflector in place for projecting into the casing. The reflector is exemplified as a parabolic reflector, the casing being similarly formed, there being a space 17 between the reflector and casing.

The reflector is. at its rear end, provided with a central aperture 21 which is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the lamp andwith the line of the principal axis of the-reflector. An annular flange 22 is located about the. aperture, and is shown as on a fiange-piece 23 provided with a laterally extending annular wing 24, by means of which the. flange-piece is secured to the reflector so as to extend preferably rearwardly therefrom. the securing being accomplished, for instance. by means of soldering, brazing or heat welding.

A socket-tube 25 is arranged to slide lengthwise in the flange and has a plug se curing means 26 at its forward end, which arranged to receive the plug'27 of a lightbulb 28.

These plug-securing means comprise slots .31 which extend lengthwise of the tube and have lateral extens ons 32 between which and the slots proper lips 33 are located, forming bayonet connections. The plug is providxd with radially extending pins 34 arranged to be reccivedin the slots 31. the pins being ar'anged to be received within the lateral extensions of the slots behind the lips 33 and to bepressed forwardly for holding the parts in place.

The plug is in practice usual-1y cylindrical in form. In order to hold the plug-firmly in place and to make good'electric connection therewith. I provide the socket-section of the socket-tube with laterally extending wings 36, the front and rear edges 37. 38, otwhich are free of attachment to the socket-section, one of the lateral edges 39 #socket-section. formed by providing laterally extending of said Wings being integral with said These wings are preferably slots extending laterally from the slots 31 for severing said wings at their inner ends from the socket-section. one of the lateral edges of the wings in the present eX- amplification being formed by one of the wallsof the slots 31.

These wings are curved resilient wings and are bent inwardly slightly, whereby the plug contacting portions thereof are located within the longitudinal projection of the socket-section, as shown in Fig. 3. When now the plug is inserted in the socket. these Wings are pushed outwardly by the plug. and, being slightly resilient, they make close contact with the plug whilethe same is located in the socket, for securely holding the plug in position and making good electrio contact therewith. These wings extend laterally about the annular periphery of the plug and occupy little space lengthwise of the connector, while at the same time they make contact with a considerable portion of the area of the plug for holding the same securely in position and preventing rattling thereof and for making good electric contact therewith over a wide area.

A hard fiber washer is secured to the tube. This hard fiber washer is an electric insulating washer and is formed as a thin hard fiberdisk occupying little lengthwise Space of the tube. These hard fiber washers are preferably punched out of sheet hard fiber and form efi'ective, compact and economical insulating means for the purpose and in thefi relation described. In the presentfexemplificafion I have shown the "same secured in place by forcing a portion 7 of the metal of the tube inwardly at theend of the hard fiber wasl1er,-sliown accomplished by striking out lips 46. 47. out oi the body of the tube and bending the same inwardly against the respective ends of the hard fiber washerfor positioning the same lengthwise in the tube. My improved construction permits an electric connector of 1 substantially less length to be formed than when employing rubber insulation in the relations that said rubber insulation has been heretofore employed in electric connectors. and provides a more simple and durable structure not liable to fracture.

'A longitudinally movable electric terminal post 48'is movable lengthwise through the hole 49 of the hard fiber washer, and has a spring 50 there-about. between the washer and a head 51 of the post for normally pushin the post toward the central terminal lie electric light-bulb 28 when the latter is located in the plug securing means. The head 51 is shown as a ring received against a shoulder 53 about a reduced end 5-1 of the post and held in place by spreading the outer end of said reduced end. as shown at 55. when the parts have been as sembled.

An inner tube (51 is prel'crably provided as a bearing for the terminal post. This inner tube is secured in the hole l1) oi the hard fiber washer by providing this tube with a reduced portion 132. forming a shoulder (33 received against one side ol the hard fiber washer. the reduced end oil the lube being received through the hole in the washer. the outer end of this reduced portion of the tube being spun about the outer end of the hole in the washer. a shown at (34, for firmly securing the tube in place. The spring is shown as a spiral spring rcccived between the inner end of the lube and the head of the electric terminal post. The outer end of the electric terminal post is shown formed as an enlargcim-nt (if).

The longitudinally movable terminal post extends for its major portionoutside the thin insulating washer the major outwardly projecting portion being spaced from the socket-tube by an annular insulating space (56.

A flexible electric conductor (37 is provided with an insulating cover UH. the outer portion of which is formed in usual manner as a fabric covering. The enlargement (35 has a hole (39 therethrongb sutlicicntly large to receive the covering ol" the condiu-tor. so that the strain oi any bending of the flexible electric conductor at the post is received primarily by the insulating covering for preventing c1'ystalliz.-iti(m of the electric conductor proper, and thereby preventing the breaking of the electric conductor. The core of the electric conductor is rcverscly bent, as shown at 70, and is received in a slot 71 in the enlargement of the post. in which it, is suitably secured. as by means oi soldering, shown at 72. By these means the inner end of the. inner electric condnctor is secured to the electric bulb terminal.

The rear end of the socket -tube is provided with a slot 73 through which tlie'fiexible electric conductor passes from the en largement 05.

The socket-tube is arranged to be ail-- .lcngl-lnvise :uljustment'for placing the. eleclric bulb in proper focal position and securing the same in such position.

An outer connector.similar to that hereinbefol'c described may be provided for receiving the usual plug 78 of an electrical conneetlon 79 from a usual source. oi electric energy, this plug in practicebe ing usually a lit " plu having an annular periphery similar ;to t e plug 27, and provided with pins 3%" similar to the pins 34: and having a central terminal 52 similar to the terminal 52. The outer connector being similar to the connector hereinbefore described has the parts thereof designated by similar but primed reference numerals, in order to avoid repetition of description thereof.

The supperting tube of the outer connector is arranged to be secured in an annular flange 22' of a flange-piece 23 proi'ided with a laterally extending annular attaching .wing 24', by means of which the flange piece is secured to the. casing of the lamp by suitable means, as by soldering, brazing, or heat-Welding. The set-screw 74: is threaded throu chv a threaded hole in the flange 22 and clamps the socket-tube 25' in place. The 2G annular flange 22 may be'provided with a slot registering with the slot 73' for accommodating the flexible electric conducter 67.

The parts of this lastmamed connector, may, for convenience, be designated as front and rear arts, similar to the designations applied with reference to the connector to which the electric light-bulb is arranged to be secured. y

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim asmew and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An electric connector of the character described comprising a socket-tube, a hard fiber washer of substantially equal thickness throughout and of substantially less thickness than diameter in said tube, an electric terininal post having its major portion outside said hard fiber Washer at one side of said washer and having resilient lengthwise movement in said hard fiber washer, said electric terminal post extending through said plug-securing means comprising, a normally substantially cylindrical tube-section having a resilient tube P01131011 tree of attachment at its front and rear ends with said tube section and integral one of its lateral ends with said tube-section and extending" in curved form inwardly Within the longitudinal projection of said tube-section laterally about the plug position and arranged to be resiliently pushed outwardly by said plug when inserted in said plugsecuring means.

3. An electric connector of the character .describedcomprising a socket-tube, a hard fiber washer of substantially equal thickness throughout and of substantially less thickness than diameter secured to said tube, an electric terminal post having lengthwise resilicnt movement through said hard. fiber washer having its ma'or portion outside said hard fiber washer, said socket-tube ha ing Plug-securing means thereon including a myonet connection at the end of said sockettube for a bayonet plug havin a substantmlly annular periphery, sail p lug securing inea s comprising a resilient socket-tube portion free of attachment at its front and rear ends with said socket-tube and integral at one of the lateral endswith said socket-tube section and extending incurred form latother of the walls of said slots being fornie Washer and provided with securin means for an electric conductor outside the other side of said washer, and plug-securing means at one end of said tube whereby, the electric terminal of said plug is held in contact -with said post, and portions of said tube projecting inwardly. in close adj-acencyto each other across the ends ot said hard fiber washer for compressing said hard washer firedly between said portions in end wise relation in said tube. Y 2. an electric connector of the character securing means thereon including a bayonetconnectlon at the end of said tube for abayo net plug having an annular periphery, said on late ally extending" Wings curved to conform to said substantially annular plug and which are free at their front and rear edges i and integral with said socketsection at one of their lateral edges, said wings being curved inwardly Within the longitudinal projection of said sachet-section and arranged to be pressed outwardly by said plug,

sinned my dcsvribed comprising a tube having plugfor the purpose deco In testimony have hereunto scribing Witnesses.

. y iF'iSCHElEt. ilhtnesses:-

Cnasnns 1G. sen-n,-

innnusa .lm.. omens.

in said ining-securing.

I no 7 name in the presence of two sub- 

